We continue to count down the finest slabs of metal from the last year, as chosen by the devout scribes here at BW&BK;/BraveWords.com. As with previous years, each writer was asked to pick his top 20 albums of the year (no live records, compilations or covers etc...). We perform a little behind-the-scenes metal math and voila, we have our list! We'll be counting down the Top 30 all month - yup, one a day until we get to New Year's - yes, we're aware that December has 31 daze but we thought we'd let you hang until January 1st!

It's time for #11! Drum roll please...

#11 - BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - Order Of The Black (E1)

In August, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have nabbed their highest album debut ever, with Order Of The Black coming in at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album and #1 on the Billboard Hard Music Album charts this week, respectively. Order Of The Black also made a Top 10 debut in Canada, landing at #9 on Canadian album charts.

Order Of The Black was recorded at the Black Label Bunker, making it the first CD to stem from Zakk’s newly completed home studio. When asked about having his own recording facility, as opposed to renting studio time elsewhere and constantly watching the clock he responded to BraveWords.com's Aaron Small: "I never went in with the mindset of we’ve got to get it done in three days ‘cause it’s $1000 a day and we only have a $3000 budget. I work along the lines of let’s go in there and knock this thing out. If we get it done in a week, we get it done in a week. If it takes us six weeks, it takes us six weeks. We get down there; get a couple kick ass songs – great. If we don’t, we’re not feeling it today – whatever. Every time we’ve gone in the studio it’s always a good time. As far as getting inspiration, we could be listening to ‘Heart Of Gold’ by NEIL YOUNG on the way down there and then we’d write something mellow like that. But I never look at the clock. Whenever you’re in a recording studio, it’s like being in a tit bar – none of them suck but some are better than others. It’s like a kid with a billion crayons and a blank canvas. But it’s great now that we have The Bunker.”

Read the entire interview here.

Brave Picks Top 30 Of 2010

#30 - STONE SOUR: Audio Secrecy (Roadrunner)

#29 - APOCALYPTICA - 7th Symphony (Sony)

#28 - TWILIGHT: Monument To Time End (Southern Lord)

#27 - HAIL OF BULLETS - On Divine Winds (Metal Blade)

#26 - FORBIDDEN - Omega Wave (Nuclear Blast)

#25 - KROKUS - Hoodoo (Columbia)

#24 - AIRBOURNE - No Guts. No Glory. (Roadrunner)

#23 - SOILWORK - The Panic Broadcast (Nuclear Blast)

#22 - TRIPTYKON - Eparistera Daimones (Century Media)

#21 - DARKTHRONE - Circle The Wagons (Peaceville)

#20 - NEVERMORE - The Obsidian Conspiracy (Century Media)

#19 - FOZZY - Chasing The Grail (Riot)

#18 - EXODUS - Exhibit B: The Human Condition (Nuclear Blast)

#17 - MISERY INDEX - Heirs To Thievery (Relapse)

#16 - ARMORED SAINT - La Raza (Metal Blade)

#15 - BLIND GUARDIAN - At The Edge Of Time (Nuclear Blast)

#14 - GAMMA RAY - To The Metal (earMusic)

#13 - MURDERDOLLS - Women And Children Last (Roadrunner)

#12 - RATT - Infestation (Loud & Proud/Roadrunner)

#11 - BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - Order Of The Black (E1)